Our Services

Dystonia and Torticollis

Dystonia

The VCU Parkinson's and Movement Disorders Center offers specialized evaluation and treatment services for dystonia. This is an interdisciplinary program providing consultations to meet our patients’ individual needs. We strive to integrate expert clinical care with clinical research that advances knowledge in dystonia.

Our care team will create an individualized treatment plan for each patient, which will be shared with your primary physician and any local care providers to help coordinate ongoing follow-up. The team is available to assist patients and families assess the pros and cons of surgical treatments, medications, and other non-medication treatments, to find the best treatment plan for each person.

There are also opportunities to participate in dystonia clinical research projects.

What is Dystonia?

Dystonia is a movement disorder that causes muscles to contract uncontrollably. It can cause the affected body part to twist involuntarily, which results in repetitive movements and abnormal postures. One muscle, a group of muscles, or the entire body can be affected. The movements can sometimes be painful, and some individuals may have a tremor or other neurologica features.

There are three different types of dystonia:

Primary dystonia

Idiopathic dystonia that does not have a clear cause

Genetic dystonias that appear to be inherited, symptoms vary widely between members of the same family, and some carriers of the altered gene may not develop dystonia

Secondary dystonia results from environmental or other damage to the brain, from exposure to certain medications, or as a symptom of other diseases